Previously established as a Swedish colony and English settlement near the valley of the Delaware indian tribe, Philadelphia, or the "city of brotherly love" was founded by William Penn on the date above, incorporated October 25th, 1701, home to notable chess-players such as Ben Franklin, and served as both a temporary national capitol and location to sign the Declaration of Independence (1776) and United States' Constitution (1787).

The city is home to Penn U (they won the 1977 PanAm Intercollegiate(1, 9) trophy) and many sporting teams, including Inventors' chess(2), 76'ers basketball(3), Phillies baseball(4), Flyers hockey(5), and Eagles' football(6) clubs but their Franklin chess club was founded in October of 1885. Among them were Dionisio M Martinez (one of the presidents (7)), Harry Nelson Pillsbury (columnist for the Inquirer in 1904), Mordecai Morgan and Walter Penn Shipley (a noted organizer).

Soon after their founding, the new year passed and the Manhattan club visited Philadelphia to watch Steinitz and Zukertort play on one of the chessboards belonging to Paul Morphy. The notes to Blackburne vs J M Hanham, 1889 indicate that the set may have later been used in New York City, and there was also talk that Bobby Fischer might have the opportunity to play his candidates matches with the similar set.

The North American, Times (for both was Gustavus Charles Reichhelm as columnist), Public Ledger (previously writing for the North American, Emil Kemeny was columnist for this paper), Daily Evening Bulletin and Inquirer newspapers had all previously (or currently) featured chess stories or columns in the past (8).

<Chess.
The Philadelphia Club. - The Forest and Stream in a notice of this club says:
"The club now numbers ninety members, and is increasing from five to ten every week. A handsome suite of rooms has been taken on West Penn square, opposite the new public buildings. These rooms are located in the second story, and command a fine view. They are splendidly furnished, the expense for furnishing alone amounting to nearly $1,000. The president, Mr. Joseph M. Bennett (one of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia, worth $3,000,000), has donated a billiard table, which will occupy a room by itself. Some of our foremost citizens have joined, and the club is a splendid success. The officers are as follows: Joseph M. Bennett, President; George C. Halmbold, Emerson Bennett, Jacob Elson, James G. Whitehead, and James Roberts, Vice Presidents; G. Reichhelm, Recording Secretary; B. M. Neill, Corresponding Secretary, and W. H. Sayen, Treasurer.">

<The three great chess clubs of the world now are the St. George's Club, of London; the Vienna Chess Club, of which the Baron Rothschild is the President, and the new Philadelphia Chess Club, now the leading organization of America.>

Tabanus: Martinez had not only entered the city, he also played in Philadelphia (1876) the first four rounds before he had to leave for Cuba due to illness in his family. In 1885 (or 1880?) he was elected as president of the new Franklin Chess Club.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 12, 1880:

<A New Chess Club. — Philadelphia has a new chess club, which was organized last Saturday night. They wanted one badly, as their city chess rooms at the Atheneum, Union League, Mercantile Library, Commercial, etc. were only chess lounging places, where nothing of special interest transpired beyond the meeting of "old boys" to play a quiet game or two, like a certain club in this city. That live paper, the Philadelphia Times, of Sunday, in referring to the revival of chess in that city, says:

"In consequence of this chess revival, plans have been matured during the past week for the organization of a new chess club, so that the chess talent of this city may be focalized in one representative institution. Last evening, a large and euthusiastic meeting of chess players was held for the purpose, indicated in the parlors of the Edwards House, northwest corner of Franklin and Race streets. Messrs. Martinez, Davidson, Elson, J. Roberts, Reichhelm, Neill, Puente, Barbour, Knox, Ringwalt, Abrahamson, Priester and many other chess notabilities were present. Mr. L. D. Barbour called the meeting to order and stated that the credit of carrying out this project is chiefly due to the energy and enterprise of the celebrated chess master, D. M. Martinez. Mr. Barbour then dropped into poetry, after which, relapsing into prose, he dwelt at some length on the value of time in chess. Mr. George W. Knox, the well known chess expert, was then called to the chair. After much animated discussion the dues were fixed at $5 a year, payable in quarterly installments, in advance, together with an entrance fee of $2. Messrs. Martinez, Barbour, and Professor Abrahamson were appointed a committee, with all the necessary powers for selecting rooms, soliciting membership, etc. A large number have already signed their adhesion to the club.>

Transcribed as best I could. The only new name (compared to previous post) in cg database so far is Priester.

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